Chalhoub Group acquires a stake in Willy Chavarria

Chalhoub Group, one of the key luxury conglomerates in the Gulf region, has made a strategic investment in Willy Chavarria, the acclaimed New York-based fashion brand.

  
Chalhoub Group quietly acquired its minority stake in Willy Chavarria last month, joining disruptive creative brand incubator Fae Fashion Ventures. The brand-building firm founded by music veterans Sarah Stennett and David Grinberg first invested in Willy Chavarria in early 2024.
 
“The partnership marks a pivotal step in the brand’s global growth, bringing together a trifecta of retail expertise, creative innovation, and cultural relevance,” Chalhoub Group said in an official statement. Terms of the deal have not been released.

Hybrid retailer Chalhoub Group boasts a portfolio of ten owned brands, some 950 stores, and over 400 international brands in the luxury, beauty, fashion, and art de vivre categories. As part of its strategic ambition, Chalhoub Group supports rising luxury brands through venture capital as well as larger mergers and acquisitions, with a particular focus on fragrance, leather goods, footwear, and homeware. 
 
“This investment underscores the Group’s commitment to backing scalable, high-potential brands with strong cultural relevance and visionary leadership,” said Chalhoub Group. “In the case of Willy Chavarria, we believe his cultural resonance and unique blend of experience in fashion, inclusive identity, and humanity will enable the brand to connect across diverse client segments and cultural moments, and we look forward to supporting the company as it expands internationally.”

With more than 70 years of experience in luxury retail and brand building across the Middle East and beyond, the Chalhoub Group boasts extensive expertise in market expansion, distribution, and value creation which it will harness to support Willy Chavarria’s global acceleration.
 
Co-founded in 2015 by Willy Chavarria and David Ramirez, the New York label has evolved into one of fashion’s most authentic voices, blending bold tailoring with socially conscious narratives and cultural symbolism. The brand made its official Paris Fashion Week debut in January 2025 and has positioned itself at the forefront of next-generation luxury.

This partnership will facilitate expansion into key markets such as Europe and Asia, support a suite of new creative projects, and help realise the long-term vision of CEO and creative director Willy Chavarria.

 
“We are thrilled to welcome Chalhoub Group onto the board of Willy Chavarria to add their expertise in scaling growth businesses. The fusion of retail, brand experience, and cultural expression across all areas of the arts will establish a blueprint for future-facing fashion brands,” said Stennett.

Since the brand’s partnership with Fae Group, beginning in Spring/Summer 2024, Willy Chavarria has more than tripled its number of wholesale distributors, secured partnerships with leading retailers, and launched impactful collaborations with Adidas, Don Julio, and Tinder. 
 
Born into a modest family of Mexican and Irish origin in a Californian farming community, Chavarria studied art in San Francisco; working as a designer for Joe Boxer before joining Ralph Lauren where he led its sports collections. He debuted his eponymously named brand in 2015, knitting together politics and fashion from his first shows, including an early presentation inside a New York leather bar on the Hudson River.
 
Willy made a sensational Paris runway debut in January of this year. The designer’s show inside the American Cathedral featured models Indya Moore and Paloma Elsesser along with a recording of Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde chastising President Trump for his lack of compassion and inclusivity.
 
“Willy Chavarria is a designer who represents the evolving face of luxury, rooted in culture, identity, and community,” said Zahra Kassim-Lakha, chief investment officer at Chalhoub Group. “Our partnership is grounded in a shared ambition to support brands with strong values and distinctive voices. We believe Willy’s creative vision and powerful storytelling are reshaping the fashion landscape globally.” 
 
Willy Chavarria’s global impact and creative vision have been recognised with multiple awards – from Woolmark Prize finalist 2019; Cooper Hewitt National Design Award winner 2022; and two awards for CFDA American Menswear Designer of the Year.
 
Joining Chalhoub Group and Fae Fashion Ventures is Webster Capital and its founder, Tony Olson. Though the percentage stake held by Chalhoub, Fae Fashion Ventures, Webster Capital, and Willy Chavarria have not been revealed.
 
“Willy Chavarria resonates with our Experience-Memory-Emotion (EME) investment vertical, in that his message and brand are rewriting cultural narratives.  We are thrilled to partner with Chalhoub Group and FAE Fashion Ventures on this exciting opportunity,” said Olson.